This invention relates to a binding apparatus, and more specifically to a binding apparatus which is constructed so as to wind a continuous binding belt around an article or articles to be bound, fasten the binding belt by means of a fastener to bind the article(s) and then separate an unnecessary portion of the binding belt from the article(s) by cutting.
A conventional binding apparatus of this type is disclosed in each of Japanese Utility Model Publications Nos. 3933/1992, 3934/1992, 3935/1992 and 3936/1992. The binding apparatus disclosed includes a body which is formed therein with a belt passage through which a continuous binding belt is fed and a fastener passage in which a plurality of fasteners are received while being kept aligned with each other. In the binding apparatus thus constructed, a foremost fastener of the plurality of fasteners arranged in the fastener passage is fed to a distal end of the belt passage and a binding belt is wound around an article or articles to be bound while being extended through the fastener. Then, the binding belt is held at a distal end thereof on a holding pawl of the fastener to bind the article(s), followed by separation of a portion of the binding belt which is wound around the article from the binding belt by a cutter. Thus, the conventional binding apparatus eliminates waste of the binding belt because only a binding belt in a length required for binding of an article or articles is used in each binding operation.
However, in the conventional binding apparatus, firm tightening of the binding belt is required in order to securely binding the article(s). For this purpose, it is required to fully tighten the binding belt drawn out of a body of the apparatus by a hand. In this regard, the binding belt is reduced in width and formed on one side thereof with teeth in a row in a rack-like manner. Thus, an operator fails to satisfactorily tighten the binding belt while firmly grasping it, because a binding operation in such a manner causes much pain to a hand of the operator. In order to avoid the problem, it is required to cover a portion of the binding belt to be grasped with a towel or the like. Thus, tightening of the binding belt is highly troublesome.
The present invention has been made in view of the foregoing disadvantage of the prior art.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a binding apparatus which is capable of readily and positively tightening a binding belt without directly touching the binding belt.
In accordance with the present invention, a binding apparatus is provided. The binding apparatus includes a body provided therein with a belt passage and a fastener passage. The belt passage guides therethrough a continuous binding belt formed on one side surface thereof with asperities in a rack-like manner and the fastener passage guides a plurality of fasteners therethrough while keeping the fasteners arranged in a row. The fasteners are each provided with holding pawls engageable with the asperities of the binding belt. The binding apparatus also includes a cutter for cutting the binding belt in a state where a foremost fastener of the fasteners located at a distal end of the fastener passage is fed to a distal end of the belt passage and the binding belt is held by the foremost fastener on one of the holding pawls at a distal end of a portion of the binding belt, which portion is wound around an article while being extended through the foremost fastener, to bind the article with the portion of the binding belt. The belt passage is formed with an opening through which the binding belt is exposed. The binding apparatus further includes a tightening mechanism movably mounted on the body. The tightening mechanism includes a gear portion constructed so as to be releasably connected with the asperities of the binding belt exposed from the opening of the belt passage.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tightening mechanism includes a tightening lever which is formed thereon with the gear portion so as to be engageable with the asperities of the binding belt and pivotably arranged.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the tightening lever is arranged so as to access the belt passage and to be moved away from the belt passage.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the gear portion of the tightening lever comprises a plurality of teeth arranged on a distal end of the tightening lever in an arcuate manner.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a spring is arranged for elastically urging the tightening lever so that the tightening lever is spaced from the belt passage.
When the tightening mechanism is constituted by a tightening lever, the tightening lever may be formed thereon with the gear portion so as to be engageable with the asperities of the binding belt and may be arranged so as to be movable substantially in parallel to the binding belt.
Alternatively, the tightening mechanism may include a tightening gear rotatably mounted on the body. The tightening gear is engaged with the asperities of the binding belt exposed from the opening of the belt passage and rotated to tighten the binding belt in association with the gear portion. In addition, the tightening mechanism may include a tightening lever which is formed thereon with the gear portion and pivotally arranged, wherein the gear portion is constructed so as to be releasably engaged with the tightening gear.